Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams James Madison Dark Wheat Ale

Now he's getting the hang of it. Next in the Brewer Patriot Collection is the James Madison Wheat Ale, batch #3. This mahogany beer has a great slightly sweet aroma, foamy head and foam legs like a beer on a catwalk! I love the label with the single horse pulling 7 barrels for the beer man. They used malted rye to balance out the hand-smoked roasted malted barley (red and white oak from Orange Co, VA from land once owned by Madison) in this one and it is really nice. Madison apparently thought about a proposal for a national brewery. I would have too if I made beer this good. No abv given on the website but it has to be around 5.2% and pairs with anything grilled. OK Jim 1-2, buddy. Whether you agree with his politics at the time the 4th POTUS could brew with the best of them.

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Geroge Washington Porter

Finally getting around to trying George Washington Porter. Apparently GW had a favorite beer and this style was it. Washington felt so strongly that there should be an American porter that he adopted and encouraged a policy of buying only American-brewed beer, rather than imported British beer. The notes of licorice and molasses are full and forward. In the colonial days these were standard flavors in porters and may have been exactly what Georgie enjoyed about the style, as opposed to the sweet and or hopped porters we enjoy now. The pound of East Kent Goldings hops per barrel is easily offset by the toasted malt bill and sweetness. Pouring a deep walnut and wafting with a head of toffee/coffee, matched with 5.7%abv and 171cal per long neck this ones the most profound keeper of the bunch.

By the Prick of my Thumb...

...something wicked this way comes. After finishing the last of the Summer Hummer I heard a gnarling and gnashing of teeth. Like an awakening of smoke and brimstone from Middle Earth that only Frankdalf the Gray can tame ...the stout mouth monster appeared. Unless it's a taster I fear this beast is here ot stay until St. Patty's Day;)

Our Tastes-- SweetWater 420 Summer Hummer

Tonight I am finishing off the last of the SweetWater 420 Summer Hummer. This is a great "Americanized" witbier. The aroma is bland with a hint of citrus. Taste is standard witbier with clove, banana and wheat. No legs at all and a 1 inch head when pouring. Don't forget to swirl the goods in the bottom to get the full effect, the sediment does add a difference in flavor profile, I've tried it both ways. It started out as a seasonal and quickly replaced Exodus Porter as a year-round beer renamed "Hummer". When you go out to the site and click on the Summer Hummer bottle it still links to the Exodus Porter profile, funny, you can't keep a good dark be totally down. No abv listed but with the clean fresh taste, a 6 pack would be no problem.

Brew Batch #19 REINKE'S REVENGE 2006

Do you smell that? Some Galena, Fuggle and Williamette hops with 1.5lbs of roasted barley, black malt and crisp chocolate. Not to mention 12 whopping pounds of amber malt syrup!!!! It was little late getting here but oh yes, Reinke's Revenge is making it's 2006 reappearance. This will someday be a stellar world-wide known brew. OG 1.076 + 0.002@ 78F puts it right on the money for a 7.8 or so abv. Sleep soundly you winter Russian monster, I'll wake you again in a couple of weeks for secondary fermentation.

Our Tastes-- Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale

After being a little under the weather and a severe weather watch, I thought it would be a perfect night for a new taster. Tonight I am trying Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale put out by Anheuser Busch. I'll have to admit I only bought it because of the cool snowman on the front but this beer is well worth the less than $6 I paid for it. Winter's Bourbon is a smooth red-deep copper color with next to no head retention at all. The aroma is awesome for a mass produced beer though. It has a sweet almost "warm" baking aroma of vanilla and malt. This is the second seasonal draught put out by AB and at this rate I'll keep buying!! Made by aging the beer on bourbon barrel oak chips and whole Madagascar vanilla beans. The 6% abv doesn't hurt either.

Oy Yea Oy Yea

Just a brief announcement. I have 3 batches that I'll be brewing next, but after learning of Saddam's sentencing today, I have just ordred a sweet meade and am looking for a proprietary blend of honey from this area to make it with. It will be named "The Dangling Dictator". Also have a line on some tees for this winter finally, but all of this will take place after 11/8 (my platform).

The End of Another Era

The last of #2 American Amber, bit it tonight as I celebrated the 1st day of my last 5 months. It had a wonderful aroma, great foam legs and had a smooth malty taste, especially after aging since 5/25/04. I bid you ado and a fond farewell and look forward to finishing #3 Nut Brown Ale.

New Brew Mobile

Just got a new car and thought I would share this piece on car color and they're representative drivers:
"Black cars denote an aggressive personality or someone who's an outsider or rebel.
Silver cars indicate someone who's cool, calm and slightly aloof.
Green cars can often be chosen by people with hysterical tendencies.
Yellow cars signify someone who is idealistic and novelty loving.
Blue cars are chosen by the more introspective, reflective and cautious driver.
Gray cars represent those who are calm, sober and dedicated to their work.
Red cars denote those who are full of zest, energy and drive and who think, move and talk quickly.
Pink cars are chosen by gentle, loving and affectionate drivers.
White cars represent status-seeking extrovert drivers. (highlight this one for the joke)
Cream cars are the least likely to be involved in accidents and denote self-contained and controlled owners."
Now my new car is Alabaster Silver while my old car is Cobalt Blue, does this represent a change in life? Who knows, but I'll drink and ponder it...

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams 1790 Root Beer Brew

In June of this year Samuel Adams released a set of beers commemorating the colonial days of brewing called The Brewer Patriot Collection. This is "batch" #4 of the Brewer Patriot Collection. It has a very distinct aroma of clove (just like the gum) and definitely smells like root beer, but this isn't your usual Barq's. Sediment!! But for the life of me I can't describe the flavor. It has a great mouthfeel of smooth velvet, but the taste is just.... root beer with alcohol in it!! Color is a soft brown. Made with "blackstrap molasses, sassafras root bark, dried wintergreen and licorice. All ingredients are authentic to the colonial era and are consistent with the innovative style of New England brewers like Samuel Adams." Food pairings are fried chicken or clams, pizza or as an ingredient in a creamy root beer float with vanilla ice cream (not for the kiddies!!). 5.5%abv and one is definitely enough. Sorry Jim, you're 0-1 buddy, but it is a great marketing ploy and brewing concept. I just can't drink more than one at any given setting.

Brew Batch #18 Merry's Berry

I started to do a Japanese lettuce inspection and let this batch go to vinegar (for personal reasons) much like they let the crop rot in the harbor when screwing with a captain. But I finally got around to bottling this stuff and it really has a beautiful color to it! I lost half a Cong somewhere but I'm sure it's with the blueberries that got skimmed off during primary and secondary. I can tell you that it's a bitch bottling by yourself though, one starts to get rather imaginative with this process when working alone. Oddly enough I thought I had brought 2 cases of old Sam Adams bottles up here but in fact they were old Pete's Wicked bottles.... so apparently I have bottled "Wicked Merry's Berry", seems to fit a little better;) Got 47 12oz brown long-necks with blue turtle crowns and 1 clear. FG 1.002+ 0.002@ 78F. Yeah, I know 6.86%abv...this is why sweet things may get stronger and knock the taste out of your mouth (hee-hee).

"Crikey" No More

Hangin' out with his new baby boy "Bob" in a ritual that his father and grandfather went through, Steve suffered a big "Michael Jackson-like" (Booo), but was one of the biggest animal activists and stupid-asses I have ever had the pleasure of watching. Croc-Hunter was killed when a sting ray's barb pierced directly into his heart releasing a vasodilatory toxin that more than likely killed him instantly. Stingrays are from the family Dasyatidae are part of the elasmobranchs. Common symptoms are syncope (heart block with loss of consciousness) and hypotension. Rarely is a sting deadly but in this case with the enormous size of the ray he was filming and the fact that the 10" barb struck him directly in the left chest caused extensive bleeding. I'll drink Foster's and think of you...

You're Afraid of What?

Cenosilicaphobia--fear of an empty glass. Now this is a true beer drinkers worst fear.

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Ginger Honey Ale

Part of the Brewer Patriot Collection, specifically "batch" #1. It's made with ginger, lemon and wildflower honey, which I can appreciate the complexity of, BUT I am just glad that it is cold and there are only 4 more left for me to drink, then the rest of my life. Tastes just like a menthol Halls cough drop (but liquid). The aroma is just like the taste, no shocker there! This had to be the Miller Lite of the colonial days, but then again they used to ferment cacti in order to make grogg, blecchhh:( It has a bright golden color and little head, looks a lot like you know what. It has great foam legs but man, I am doing my best right now to choke it down, hope they didn't make a lot of this. 5.5%abv which is a redeeming quality. Thomas Jefferson's wife apparently helped him brew 15C of this stuff every 2 weeks for personal consumption (she's a keeper). Food pairings are sweet and spicy stuff like Chinese spareribs. 0 and 2 Jim.

Brew Batch #18 Merry's Berry

Well I'm finally back to brewing and this batch so far has ironically mirrored my encounter with its namesake. The yeast pack was slow to warm up and I was hoping to brew last night but of course once it decided to get puffy for me, it did over night, so I am brewing this afternoon. On top of that, I played hell trying to find 4lbs of blueberries (screw the ones that are organically grown, I can wash the ddT off of the ones I have). One thing is for sure though, the new stove I have in my apt. is awesome. It goes from room temp to boil in no time, I better make sure that I really clean this bad boy before I move. I'll admit it's been a while since I last brewed, I seem to have the butterflies and tend to hover over the stove and have rechecked all of my equipment over and over again. Then to teach the yeast pack a little lesson, I threw in an extra POUND of sugar right before the first hop addition while it was boiling. Ever added a POUND of sugar to a boiling kettle? Well a little sugar got me a lot of head;)...damn thing instantly started to foam up on me so I had to remove it from the heat before I brought it back to a boil to add the hops. Overall, all went well. OG 1.050+0.002 @76F. This batch was supposed to be 1.046, maybe I got a little carried away, hopefully the yeast can handle it, if not this will be a very sweet batch that leaves you coming back for more. On a personal note, crushing 2.4 lbs of blueberries by hand was exhilarating. Akin to smashing 2 gallon bags full of nipples!!
(All puns intended during this brew session)

Our Tastes-- Harpoon UFO

Harpoon UFO is an American wheat. I haven't tried too many of the Harpoon beers but I just recently bought a sampler so I can see what else is out there. I have read about this brewery and the 100 barrel series that they make in Ale Street News and wanted to give some of their brews a try. This one is particularly nice. It has a great citrus aroma and although it poured with a heavy head has no foam legs. The color is the usual golden cloudy of most wheats. Not too shabby, I actually think I like it better than Sam Adams' Hefeweizen. I should try some of these wheats with a lemon or orange slice but most of that is for visual appeal. It's been brewed since 1998with abv 4.8%.

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Summer Ale

Tonight I am savoring an old favorite..Samuel Adams Summer Ale. One of the first things you'll notice about this beer is the friggin' cloudiness!! Then I got to thinking what makes this any different from a Hefeweizen. Summer Ale is very fresh and has some sort of "zing" in the aftertaste. It's an American wheat, that uses malted wheat much like the Hefe Sam makes. It also contains lemon "zest" and "grains of paradise" aka Malaguita Pepper from Africa. Apparently these aren't considered true peppers in the Americanized sense of the term, but in certain regions of the world some people chew Grains of Paradise in order to "warm" up. In other words there seems to be some sort of possible aphrodisiac effect. (Hope my aphro doesn't start growing, I need a haircut already). I'll have to admit this is a staple in the garage fridge during the summer for me because I can kill 6 in no time on a hot summer day.
Some characteristics: 160cal/12oz, Tettnang tettnanger Noble hops and 5.3%abv. Available April-August

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Yep, it was the smack pack for #16 to be brewed Saturday. It's going to be a special one...

Our Tastes-- BBC Dark Star Porter

Ah yes, the final taster from the BBC group...Dark Star Porter. From what I can remember Merry said this beer was named after Dark Star, a race horse. If this is true then this may be a tribute beer to Dark Star the horse that won the 79th KY Derby in 1953. Dark Star was the only horse to ever beat Native Dancer and entered the Preakness where he amazingly lost to Native Dancer. It was discovered later that Dark Star had a terrible ligament injury but still managed to finish. Dark Star is of course a porter style beer. I'll have to admit even though it is currently humid and 90F here right now this is an amazingly refreshing beer. One can really get an appreciation of the roasted malt and hop blend with both the aroma and taste in this special style of beer. I personally would rank it right up there with Sierra Nevada Porter. It has a nice deep brown color and head. A few other recognizable porters are SweetWater 420 Exodus Porter (currently being discontinued for the Belgian's they are starting to produce), Sierra Nevada and one of the most medal winningest Alaskan Brewing Company's Smoked Porter. I'll hold the last one I have for a taste-off between a few different bigger names.

Our Tastes-- BBC Nut Brown Ale

Continuing with the 3 types that Melonhead picked me up in Louisville, KY; tonight I am trying the Nut Brown Ale. It has a great dark brown color, I can't place the aroma but it is identical to something I have had before. Little to no head or foam legs, but a superb balance of hop and malt. I wish I could give some abv but again none are listed on the website. A few examples of other notable nut browns are Samuel Adams new Nut Brown Ale, Goose Island makes Hex Nut Brown Ale, Abita, but Samuel Smith makes the absolute cadillac in nut brown ales. I think I'll put this bad boy up against a taste-off between my #3 NBA and some Sam's here pretty soon.

Our Tastes-- BBC American Pale Ale

Now it's no suprise to many that I am flying completely solo in my brewing endeavors. Alas, sweet Melonhead thought we were on different paths and broke from the chapter of "us" sometime ago. However, one of her many redeeming qualities as a "keeper" was knowing when in a different state find me some local brew. So last fall or so when she was visiting her sister and bro-in-law (Brian- co-founder of the Montgomery "Superchapter") in Louisville, KY. she insisted on finding some good local brew. Now Brian and I have butted heads, but in an earnest attempt to fulfill at least Melonhead's desires for me, he took her to a place that sold all 3 of the mainline brews produced by Bluegrass Brewing Company. So before they go out of date, I tried the American Pale Ale. I am having this beer cold in a room temp glass pint and I'll admit, I have fallen back in lust with the American Pale Ale types of beer. It has a hop aroma like the usual APA and wonderful hoppy bite, probably made with Centennial or Cascade. The head was thin and left very little in the way of foam legs. Overall, probably one of the best I've had, but that's always the case when the brewery is 281mi. away. I don't have any abv or other characteristics because they donn't list them on the site, but comparable brews are SweetWater 420 Pale Ale, Anchor Liberty Ale, Olde Towne (my local micro) and of course Sierra Nevada. Maybe I'll try a taste-off later on with the remaining few that I have.

Bug's Tastes-- Samuel Adams Brewer Patriot

I tried the Sam Adams Brewer Patriot and with the exception of the 1790 Root Beer, they were all very much worth me overpaying on eBay. The Washington Porter was first, and it is very dark and stout. This would be a good one to drink while drawing up plans to form your own country. James Madison Dark Wheat was extremely smooth and had no aftertaste. I should point out now that drinking all four of these brews in a relatively short amount of time (roughly 2 hours) might cause one to later feel like the entire Continental Congress has taken up residency in one's head.

Be responsible... Share homebrew with your canine.

Thought a little different perspective would be nice, since I am still waiting for my case to ship from The Windy-City (frankie)

Update..

Heard from Junk of the Port City chapter and these guys are off the hook, to be expected. Red (denoted here in pink) and the Master Brewer have touched 10 batches already this season!! Impressive. (Wacky shite like roasted pecan maple mild ale, I LOVE IT!!) Their recipes are off the hook and sound awesome. (Easy guys, Jimmy only allowed us homebrewers 100C/person/household/year, get some goldfish and claim them as relatives in case of ABC/ATF invasion. One of these days Port City and Rocket City will get together for a tandem brew, assuming I have any damn ingredients. Whenever I hear from Junk it fires me up, I appreciate it

Our Tastes-- RedHook Late Harvest Autumn Ale

RedHook has been around since 1982 and has 2 breweries, one on each coast (pretty smart if you ask me), one in Portsmouth, NH and the other in Woodinville, WA. This isn't the first time I have had a RedHook brew, but I wanted to start blogging the beers that I am trying since I brought all of my brew kits to the Rocket City last week and forgot all the damn ingredients in Montgomery!! This is also an old label, but the only one I could find on the internet! I truly bought this at my favortie BP 5pts gas station because the new label and six pack has a damn hoot owl on the front of it. It's like he was gazing at me saying, "Take me to a good beer-loving home, I am a seasonal beer that can be coated in metal, travel with you as you ride Pegasus to kill Medusa and help destroy the Cracken before he devours Andromeda". Anyway, I'll try to get some pics posted of some of these labels. But on to the beer. There's no official designation from RedHook on this one, but I'm thinking Marzen (available from 1st of Aug-Oct). It's definitely not a pumpkin ale. It has the usual marzen aroma and color, like I said I bought it because of the damn hoot owl!! Made with Crystal malt, German Smoked Munich, Caramel and Roasted malts as well. It's only been brewed since fall 2005 and is an East Coast brew only! Sweet, finally something in Bama the rest of the US can't get!
Some characteristics: Chestnut in color, 32 IBUs, 190cal/12oz bottle (which means more to me now that I am doing NSS (nutrional services) and 5.7%abv.
* 2315hrs-- I drank all 6, so it's safe;) and lined the bottles up against my balcony to keep away pigeons and eat field mice;(

Our Tastes-- Olde Towne Bock

Holy schinikee!! This is the 5th different brew I have tried from my local microbrewery and this is the best bock I have ever had. Olde Towne apparently also makes a porter and pumpkin ale as well and early reports of phasing the Extra Pale Ale out seem to have been a red herring. It has an awesome change in the label color to dark red for the banner and bowler hat. I was expecting it to be a bit more dark in color but it is actually a soft golden brown. It has to be a Helles or Mai because it is way too light to be a Dunkel or Double bock. Check this out: bock for a brief overview of all of the different kinds of bock out there. There is only a slight sweet cinnamon aroma that I can tell and next to no head at all, but remember higher gravity beers typically don't have a lot of head.

Our Tastes-- Olde Towne Hefeweizen

I just discovered this beer today and had to have a sixer of it. Apparently, my local microbrewery (this state's only) makes a few seasonals. Living here won't be so bad afterall. I don't have a lot of info, it's not even on their website, but I can tell you before I even tried it...I could have sworn I had Hoegaarden in my mug! The bouquet was identical. I wish I had more info for you, but I'm was shocked to even find it. They also make an Extra Pale Ale, Pale Ale and Amber. The only difference in the labels is the color of Old Grandpa Gus's hat, the Hefeweizen has a light blue color and they have gone to all black crowns which really sets the bottle off. I'll review those soon too, this is turning out to be a beery week;) 5.1%abv.

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Brown Ale

Samuel Adams Brown Ale is new to the BrewMaster's Collection. It is much like Newcastle or Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale just not as sweet, slightly drier, more citrus and bitter and oddly enough it has a light brown color to it almost like a dark creme soda or light root beer. It does have a falsely alluring sweet aroma though. Some North American counterparts are Old Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale, Pete's Wicked Ale or Fat Squirrel Ale. "Samuel Adams® Brown Ale is brewed using six varieties of malt including pale 2 row Harrington, Metcalfe, and Maris Otter malt, caramel, munich, and roasted Carafa®. This diverse blend weaves a sweet and roasty tapestry of malt flavors." This bad boy won it's way into the mouths of the masses by winning the Beer Lover's Choice Awards in 2005. This particular Brown Ale is a great transition beer for us stout mouths that tend to follow the seasons rather than the impulse. A few characteristics Spalter and East Kent Goldings hops, 159.5 cal/bottle (meaning you should drink them in twos to keep the universe even) and 5.35%abv.

Our Tastes-- Blue Moon

Blue Moon is a smooth belgian "white" as it states on the label. This brew is made with malt, wheat and oats leaving much of the proteins and yeast suspended to give it an awesome cloudiness. It has a very distinct nose and did I mention how smooth it was? Currently this is my brew of choice, especially at $9.99 a twelver thanks to a certain supplier in Gardendale;) Blue Moon is produced by of course Blue Moon Brewing Company a subsidiary of the first beer company to package beer in a 2 piece aluminum can in 1959...yep, Coors (Molson-Coors). First introduced in 1995 and quickly earning 3 consecutive medals at the WBC. Some characteristics, 171 LARGE calories/12oz and 5.4%abv. Pour yourself one in a proper flared pilsner with a wedge of orange...and repeat prn.

Rumrunners, Moonshiners & Bootleggers

Check it out on The History Channel. This is an awesome show about Big 6 Henderson busting Henry Beam (which has been a secret for 50 years!), Glen Dunaway winning the first National Association of Stock Car Racers (NASCAR) race in a suped up Ford Standard that had run moonshine just a week before and the biggest bust ever with a still that had 36.. 800 gallon sets that were using a combined total of 2500 lbs of sugar a week making $40,000/month. Yeah, NASCAR started with moonshiners!! Thanks for the reminder Mrs. Neese. I really enjoyed this one since I come from a long lineage of moonshiners, not bootleggers, learn the difference and use the terminology well.
"There will always be moonshine, thank God for the Moonshiners."

Feeling Anemic?

I normally don't advocate the buying of things other than beer, but every now and then a product comes along that truly entraps not only a drunkard but a sober man! (see previous post about Fire & Ice Grill) If you live in an area within 45 degrees +/- of the equator in latitude you should own one of these. This is the Thermacell Mosquito Lantern. These geniuses took something called allethrin out of the chrysanthemum (yeah you spell after a few beers) plant and used it too ward off insects up to 225ft!! (Found at Wally World) I would have never believed it until usage in the garage at my P's house, but this animal works. Spend the 25 bucks in the lantern, you'd spend that on 5 "OFF" buckets anyway that wouldn't work NEARLY as well as this, and sit back and relax anywhere you like butt-ass naked (haven't tried it.., yet;) It also fights off biting flies, sand flies and black midges (if you live in the south you know what I am raving about)

A Little Homework

I have been on a bit of a brewing hiatus but with two hard rotations under my belt I can now afford to get back into the brew of things. Recently, I assigned some homework to BugMan1109 in trying out the "old" American Amber recipe from my first days of starting out on my own to check for flavor, head retention and conditioning. He has since finished that "homework" and I am eagerly awaiting the results. If the bottles haven't kept well, I will probably retire the Amstel Lite bottles that I gagged down so long ago for the sake of being aesthetic and simply continue with the traditional brown long-necks and just vary the crown color. Junk has also asked me to rate some of the last few batches of brew we did together in AU. Seems there is an over-conditioning problem with batches 11-15. I'll be chilling down a few bottles and really trying to nail down that problem over the weekend. I've got a few theories already but will wait until I crack one open first.

Well..

"There is a special place in hell for you today", as a Congressman said...

The Gloves Are Off!!

Just had to get back into the groove of things. It's been a while since we all last brewed together so I just picked up my next 4, that's right 4 muzza-fuzzah, kits. Can't tell you what they all are but this month we'll re-visit an absolute failure and scary recipe for me and start thinking about October!! oooooo. Plus I'm back into the tasting mode so many more "Our Tastes" are to follow. Cheers

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams White Ale

This could very well be my favorite Sam Adams beer...a wit bier. Unfortunately it is only produced as a seasonal but in a way I guess that makes it more special. When it was first produced it was meant to be a seasonal then interest became so large it was available year round, then suddenly discontinued and brought back in 2002 to stay in the seasonal rotation. I was able to purchase a twelver for only $10 at Mike's (see previous posts) and should have gone ahead and loaded up the car. This beer has a great aroma and flavor profile. You can really get a since of the spice additions in this beer. The only bad part is that one just doesn't seem to "git r dun". This is the "Americanized" answer to Hoegaarden.
Some characteristics: 175cal/12oz bottle, Tettnang Tettnanger Noble hops, only 3 grains Munich 10, malted wheat and 2 row pale, Spices- orange and lemon peel, dried plum, grains of paradise, coriander, anise, hibiscus, rose hips, tamarind, and vanilla all at the end of the kettle boil, 5.4% abv. Pretty simple if you ask me to be so good! Available Jan-April.

FlagShip Brew?

The Port City chapter headed by Junk and apprentice Red (denoted here in pink;) tossed their hats into the brewing world this evening with an Extra Pale Ale. (confirmed via personal email). I've never been a fan of the extra pale ale, too Coors Litey, to each his own and definitely a great starter batch. So from here hence let the splinter cells of the AU chapter of TnDC be known as The Rocket City & Port City chapters respectively. I see a blog/website in their futures, remember you heard it here first. Ah yes, I remember the tender days of brewing with Junk when at first he was afraid to touch anything and was as content as a little piglet in their own poop to just watch and drink all in the fridge... I digress;( But now he has stepped forward into the world of contamination, bad/weak yeast starters, high or low gravity choices, refining his own recipes and mentoring Red (denoted here in pink;) I can only hope that he keeps a couple hidden for the old man on the mountain, as I too wish for a sample of his brew. I also find comfort in the fact that Red (denoted here in pink;) was wrapped in saran wrap as the brewing took place, you can never be too careful. Brew on you happy Pirates of the Gulf!!

Lest We Not Forget

The first Saturday in May is always National Homebrew Day. Pick a recipe and thank Jimmy Carter for allowing us to brew 100gal/peron/household. I've never met that amount but I'll raise my pint to hopes in the future.
"In 1979, the American Homebrewers Association originally claimed National Homebrew Day to be the first Saturday in May. On May 7, 1988, Congress officially recognized National Homebrew Day. Homebrewers around the world use the day to celebrate beer and brewing and attract attention to their hobby"

Pick Your Pony!

I liked BushFire until he was scheduled from the race (for now) to work. Now if one of these big dogs scratches for some reason, I'll take BushFire to at least place. Check out your local NBC affiliate, race starts at 500pm CST tomorrow.

Our Tastes-- Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Well, it's been a while since I've done a taster and I hope to link the to be named chapter/splinter cell of the AU chapter that Junk is heading for later tasters, but for now let's talk about Sam Adams Winter Lager. The first thing about this beer that I fell in lust with is the color, an awesome deep brown that lets my tastebuds begin the "stout mouth" transformation. It has a superb blend of cinnamon, ginger, a slight orange peel and of course the sweetness of malted barley. Now the only problem I have is where the cinnamon comes from...yep, gook cinnamon. Well let me clarify it's from Saigon which is in the south much like AL, but there's something about the whole connotation that makes me want to grab a frag. Besides that this may be my most favorite Sam beer. I was astonished to find that it's a dark wheat!! Yeah, an American dunkel!! These bad boys were initially brewed to be served warm and get you through the Winter. Thank goodness it isn't made year round.
Some characteristics: Calories 200 large/bottle, of course the bottom fermenting lager yeast, Kent Goldings, Hallertauer, Tettnang, more Tettnang, then some Tettnang, 5.8%abv, available Oct-Feb.

There's No Easy Way To Say This..

But the AU chapter will be splintering. I have now founded Montgomery's original chapter, transplanted to the well-organized and extremely productive AU chapter, only to finally become for the remainder of the next 365 1/4 days (the real length of a year) the...drum roll please....Rocket City chapter! Now try not to be too upset about this move because my next news will drive you to drink, which is what we want. Co-founder Junk has unavoidably split as well creating his own chapter further south. When attempts were made tonight to reach Junk on the naming of his chapter via his cell phone he was out of area...stay tuned. From what I understand his brewing lackey will be his brother Red (denoted here in pink;) The good news to report is that I tasted and pH tested the water here and we're in business, there goes the water fees for brewing. There have already been questions about brewing classes at my new apt. with interest from fellow students and one professor if his wife will give him a "pass" (whatever the hell that is), but I told them it would have to wait until at least July because the brewing equipment is at my P's house. I also told them that if they want CE credit out of this that they can jump up my ass.

T-Minus 1 Day to the Green Day

Thought I'd share a few things I found on this crazy thing called the "InterNet".
10 great pubs is a great listing of some of the best Irish Pubs to visit in the states. I have been to Fado's many times in Buckhead (ATL) and it is by far my favorite irish pub. They pre-fab these things all over the US bringing back pubs piece by piece bought on the green isle. This particular one has a cobblestone floor and if you can't understand the micks behind the bar just point and they'll fill you up. My dream is to make it to McMullan's Irish Pub, it too is an actual pub bought and moved from Ireland. I have the t-shirt that says "Some Things Taste Better in the Dark".

Alba Gu Bra

Lest we not forget our Scottish brethren. If you're down for some history of Scotland, then check it out. Everything from the Battle of Falkirk to finding your favorite tartan and family history. While you're there you'll need to know how to speak the lingo. Have some cockieleekie and haggis for me;) Need to curse at someone or chat some slang?

Get Your Own!!

Here's my family tartan and the pattern worn by my Scottish Clan. Not the boldest of patterns, but stylish nonetheless, besides the ladies just want to know what's under the kilt of a man "man enough" to wear one not how pretty it is!

The Green Week

You know there must be something cosmic when the last year you spend at Auburn campus, St. Patrick's Day falls on a Friday. All week long we'll be doing a little trivia and trying to burn up the Braveheart and So I Married An Axe Muderer DVDs.
1. Some areas of Ireland are known to receive this many inches of rain each year, which accounts for the brilliantly green grass that has earned Ireland the nickname of “emerald isle”:
A. 60 inches
B. 70 inches
C. 90 inches


2. With 27,136 square miles of land, the Republic of Ireland is approximately half the size of this US state:
A. Arkansas
B. California
C. Montana

3. Today, this number of Americans trace their ancestry back to Ireland:
A. 10 Million
B. 25 Million
C. 40 Million


Answers: C, A, C
Consider your green matter picked

Kalends Martiae

Kalends of Martiae marks the end of the "running the dogs" and only 16 days away from St. Patrick's Day. I was happy to do the taster and look forward to any new beers offered by FDB and thank them for sending me a free t-shirt when their mixed litter came up short. They seem to be a decent bunch of guys. Brew On you mutts of beer.

Our Tastes-- Wild Dog Weizenbock

This marks the final dog days of Febuary. I have only one bottle of this stuff thanks to Red & Junk, so you can assume that I haven't tried it and I won't be until I have a replacement. All I can say is that it's a pretty bottle:( Here's the site's description of Wild Dog Weizenbock

Our Tastes-- Horn Dog

Horn Dog, how do I love thee, let me count the ways…topless and in my mouth. (Much like my girlfriend). I know a bit nasty but direct imagery is focal, Focker. I’ve only had barleywine one other time when Brian and I were bottling at SweetWater Brewery in ATL. Chris’s (aka Dipshit from Marietta homebrew) father-in-law showed up and started passing out samples from his car, now he was a nice guy! Any old dude that cruises into his local microbrewery and starts handing out his personal selection to the crew that is bottling has to be going to heaven. Barleywine is exactly what is says it is…wine made from grain. OG usually starts 1100 and works it way down, “where it stops nobody knows”. At pouring it was a grayish-brown with chunks of hop rolling around in it. It reminded me a lot like the bentonite magma we used in Ceutics to make calamine lotion, yeah that thick gray stuff. Oh and there was no head at all, this was an instant tattle-tale to a homebrewer that the yeast munched on the sugar making only alcohol. This is no doubt the alpha-male of the pack. I say this because even at the last swig I cringed from the overpowering flavor and ABV.
Alcohol content: 10.5% ABV
Original Gravity: 1.10
IBU's: 44
Specialty Malts: Munich Malt, 30-37L Carastan Malt, 120L Crystal Malt
Hops: German Perle, Northern Brewer, Cascade
Process: Aged for a minimum of three months before being packaged

2003 Silver Medal Winner - The World Beer Cup, (Barley Wine Category)

Our Tastes-- Gonzo Imperial Porter

Gonzo is one of my last victims. Allow me to walk you through the full tasting process. As I poured it equates to liquid shark eyes, “Lifeless doll’s eyes right before they roll over white before biting into you” as Quinn would say. The brown head is 3rd only to Guinness draught from tap at Pippen’s in Chi-Town (#2) and Reinke’s Redemption (#1). The most beautiful dark brunette you could put in your mouth that wasn’t a woman. The aroma was like any other porter...SQUARED!! The taste would be that of a small brush fire in your mouth it came away so smokey. As I enjoy a Carlos Torano Exodus 1959 Perfecto cigar, it melds with the flavor. When I spat, it is as though Red Man Original Blend is tucked away in my buccal, there again oddly a wonderful brown. Do I like it? I only wish Hunter S. Thompson and Ralph Steadman were here to draw wildly for me as we all enjoyed several pints together. Buy it now if you can find and share with good friends. If I were a dog, right now I’d be a chow (ggrrrr bitches and strays, touch not my Gonzo Imperial Porter). Get the full story here

Beer Healthy?

After posting about 42-A tonight I thought I would share something passed on by Dr. J.
By JOY VICTORY

Nov. 7, 2005 — "Mmmm … beer."

This oft-repeated sentiment of Homer Simpson is a mantra for the millions of beer drinkers in the United States. As popular as beer is, however, it often has gotten a bad rap as a calorie-loaded beverage that only serves to create paunchy beer bellies and alcohol-fueled lapses in judgment.

But that negative image may begin to fade: Research is showing that beer could join the ranks of other guilt-inducing but wildly popular foods — chocolate, coffee and red wine — as a possible disease-fighter.

It turns out that beer hops contain a unique micronutrient that inhibits cancer-causing enzymes. Hops are plants used in beer to give it aroma, flavor and bitterness.

The compound, xanthohumol, was first isolated by researchers with Oregon State University 10 years ago. Initial testing was promising, and now an increasing number of laboratories across the world have begun studying the compound, said Fred Stevens, an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry at Oregon State's College of Pharmacy.

Earlier this year, a German research journal even devoted an entire issue to xanthohumol, he said.

What Stevens and others are discovering is that xanthohumol has several unique effects. Along with inhibiting tumor growth and other enzymes that activate cancer cells, it also helps the body make unhealthy compounds more water-soluble, so they can be excreted.

Most beers made today are low on hops, however, and so don't contain much xanthohumol. But beers known for being "hoppy" — usually porter, stout and ale types — have much higher levels of the compound. Oregon's microbrews ranked particularly high, Stevens said, which is not surprising: U.S. hops are grown almost entirely in the Northwest.

Still, no one knows how much beer is needed to reap the benefits. Mice studies show that the compound is metabolized quickly by the body, so it's hard to get a large amount in the body at one time, Stevens said.

"It clearly has some interesting chemo-preventive properties, and the only way people are getting any of it right now is through beer consumption," he said.
ONLY IN BEER!! 42-A

Brew Batch #16

42-A IPA went to bottle tonight. It is a beautiful batch of 22 22oz brown bottles, 2 clear, 2 Grolsch and 2 12oz long-neck brown all with bumblebee ass yellow crowns. I'll admit if we hadn't used the grolsch or long-necks that we would have had a full batch of 22's. We also came up short in the volume area, a half gallon short again, but we figured that it was part of the yeast layer on the bottom of the first racking. The British Bitter had a good yeast layer on the bottom (about 2 fingers worth) and it came up about a half gallon short, so at least it's nothing we're doing. We tried it and there is no doubt that it will satisfy the hop monster in you. It has an awesome deep ruby red color too. FG 1.010+0.00 @ 61.7F to give 7.43%abv. Man, I've got to order more high gravity kits!!

Our Tastes-- Heller Hound Bock

Heller Hound Bock is the next seasonal I tried. This is the spring Bock FDB comes out with I happen to pick up a few months ago. I figured it would hold ok as long as I kept it at room temp until enjoying. I'll have to say this is the best damn doggie brew I have had yet. It has a great aroma, the color is dark straw and the tastes is terribly familiar, I just can't place it. It had sediment like a wheat but a flora aroma and smooth taste like a belgian wit. My mouth looks just like the mutt on the front after this one!
Alcohol content: 6.2% ABV
Original Gravity: 1.062
IBU's: 22
Specialty Malts: Weyerman Vienna, Weyerman Light Munich, Weyerman Cara Hell
Hops: German Perle, Hersbrucker, U.S. Sazz

Stout Mouth!!

Is in effect. I find myself thinking about only my next Sam Adams Winter Lager and where I can find the best Guinness deals to start making black&tans, half&halfs and snakebites. From here till after St. Patty's Day I will bind myself to drinking only those beers that are darkly translucent-adj. Transmitting light but causing sufficient diffusion to prevent perception of distinct images, or opaque-adj. Impenetrable by light; neither transparent nor translucent. Which means it's open season on the Wake N Bake

Our Tastes-- K-9 Cruiser Altitude Ale

I can only hope that if I were to be ever buried in an avalanche that the 300lb. St. Bernard that digs me out has a 1/2 gallon of K-9 Cruiser around his neck. Then again that would vasodilate my periphery and cause me to lose more body heat...but I would go to sleep and die a happy man. This ale is much more dark than my usual (Sam Adams Winter Lager) which was surprising. It has a great aroma and color to, but then again I am stout mouth by now. It can be found in local mixed litters according to apprentice Junk, but I am queer;) about how since it is 6.4% and nothing over 6% is allowed in this state. Drink on and be happy with this one.
Alcohol content: 6.4% ABV
Original Gravity: 1.064
IBU's: 30
Specialty Malts: 50/60 Crystal, Chocolate, Oats, Munich Malt
Hops: Millenium, Saaz

Brew Batch #17

Bitter in tha housie! This was another less than stellar batch mainly because I managed to somehow lose 1/2 gallon of beer between primary and bottling. So tonight Junk and I squeaked out 49 measly long-neck brown with nice dark blue crowns, including the 2 clear!! FG came out to be 1.003+0.000 @ 58F, yes it was that cold (I had my heat off for the weekend). This gives it 3.7% abv, which is still heavier than Amstel Lite, so kiss my wiener! The next few batches should be modeled after Reinke's Redemption nice and high 1060 or better. All in all this will be a nice session beer, they can't all knock you on your trunk;)

Our Tastes-- Dogtoberfest

Dogtoberfest is the first seasonal I tried, it's a marzen beer telling by the grain and hop inventory. But when I first poured it the damn thing was so orange I thought it was a pumpkin ale, I actually started looking up stuff about pumpkin ales before I tasted it. Lest we all learn this lesson, "Judge not a beer by its color..." Me circa right now, A.D. I'll have to admit, if ever I were to cheat on Sam Adams Octoberfest it would be with THIS beer, I hope she's not reading. It could be the fine La Unica #400 maduro cigar I am smoking BUT I started smoking it AFTER trying the beer and it is good. I've said my peace. Check out FDB for the whole story behind dogtoberfest, it's funny, weird funny but funny.
Alcohol content: 5.8% ABV
Original Gravity: 1.056
IBU's:
Specialty Malts: Weyerman Vienna, Weyerman Light Munich, Weyerman Dark Munich, Gambrinus Munich 90, Gambrinus Munich 100
Hops: German Perle, Hersbrucker

Our Tastes-- Road Dog Porter

Road Dog Porter is the next little pup I tried. Road Dog is a Scottish Porter. No one is sure how the recipe for this certain blend of beers came about but it is rumored to have been made simply by pouring a pint of ale, beer and twopenny together in the same pint. (see link) I had this beer with pizza which is how porter should be tried and it is AUsome! It has a great dark DARK ruby color to it and has a smooth light smokiness to it. Right now I could definitely have 3. I'm also surprised that this beer is even allowed in AL, the label reads "Good Beer, No Shit". As conservative as we are you'd think someone wouldn't want their little crumb-eater picking that word up if they meander down the beer aisle. But most of the babies here prefer the malt-liquor;)
Alcohol
content: 5.5% ABV
Original
Gravity: 1.056
IBU's: 26
Specialty
Malts: 120L Crystal, Chocolate Malt, Black Malt
Hops: Yakima Golding, Cascade
Process: A swarm of bats often hovers over the brewhouse during brewing!

Brew Batch #16 & #17

Hell I've done so many here lately I had to go back and see which ones I was blogging about. Today, I racked over #17 British Britter into the new 5 Cong carboy and I'll have to admit I like it better than my 6 Cong. This batch has an amazing color and had slowed down to about 1m45sec upon racking. I also dry-hopped #16 42-A IPA today with 1oz of Cascade hop pellets (5.7% α-acid), that should just about blow the top off your weiner!! When I cracked open the lid the Thames Valley strain was still hard at work (bubbling every 1m25secs). The bitter had already pooped out almost and it was pitched 6 days later! Just the smell made me think of an Imperial IPA? Double IPA? I gotta get on ordering some oxidizer and yellow caps, quick.

Our Tastes-- Old Scratch Amber Lager (Gold Scratch)

Old Scratch Amber is where the IBU goes back down and the malt kicks up. This is another one of my favorites from the litter. It has a great amber color and sweet head to it. I really like the grain variation on this recipe too. I could definitely sit around and have about 10 (and then soak the labels off in some ammonia solution on the back porch while grilling and smoking a stogie), but that's how I like to spend my down time;) Apparently by the 2 gold medals won by Old Scratch in the last 2 years!! I'm not the only one that seems to like it.
Alcohol
content: 5.4% ABV
Original
Gravity: 1.053
IBU's: 22.5
Specialty
Malts: Malted White Wheat, Munich Malt, 120L Crystal
Hops: German Perle, Hallertau
Process: Fermented at medium temperatures to develop ale and lager characteristics

2004 Gold Medal Winner - Great American Beer Festival (Amber Lager Category)
2005 Gold Medal Winner - Great American Beer Festival (Amber Lager Category)

Our Tastes-- Snake Dog IPA

Snake Dog IPA is an IPA that is a low down snake in the grass (pun intended). This beer pours much like the pale ale in color but more brown, with a nice hop aroma and wonderful bitter taste. Make sure to check out the link for the IPA above because it gives some great background on the style. Don't have one of these have 4! Three hop addtions make it extremely healthy for you*
Alcohol content: 5.8% ABV
Original Gravity: 1.056
IBU's: 48
Specialty Malts: 50-60L Crystal Malt
Hops: Warrior, Columbus, Golding
Process: Dry Hopped with Columbus hops
*this statement not evaluated by the FDA, or anyone else...except me

Our Tastes-- Doggie Style Pale Ale

Doggie Style Pale Ale is where shit starts looking better in the mixed litter. Doggie Style is an American Pale Ale with a touch of West Coast in it (even though it's from CO). At first pour it has a beautiful reddish-light brown color and the aroma says "I'm not too hoppy for you to try" if you have the delicate palate. The lattice aka "foam legs" on this one seems to be more intricate as well. I really enjoy this one and almost wish Stout Mouth season wasn't coming.
Alcohol content: 5.3% ABV
Original Gravity: 1.052
IBU's: 36
Specialty Malts: 120L Crystal
Hops: Northern Brewer, Cascades
Process: Dry hopped with cascades during fermentation

Our Tastes -- In Heat Wheat

In Heat Wheat is the next beer I'm trying. It is a German hefeweizen NOT a belgian wit. Now first off this brew has a great straw color, but for me lacks in the taste dept. The proper method of pouring up a wheat is to pour half way down the glass, tilt the bottle back up and swirl the wheat proteins at the bottomw then pour the remainder into the pint. I noticed this particular "protein shake" has a unique off flavor (and I've had more than one out of diff cases to make sure it wasn't skunked). Bottom line, it ain't no Shiner hefe. I had it without any citrus which is the way I prefer wheat beer and a wedge of lemon would change the profile all together, but overall, an okay beer to try IF you are buying the litter of pups
Alcohol content: 5.1% ABV
Original Gravity: 1.048
IBU's: 12
Specialty Malts: Malted White Wheat, Munich Malt
Hops: German Perle
Process: Unfiltered for added flavor

Free The Dogs, Chain The Humans!!

Well I finally got around to taking a look (or gulp) at the fine brews offered by Flying Dog Brewery out of Denver, CO. So this month even though it is a short will be the Month of the Dog. Junk has donated a litter of pups to the cause and I'll be starting out with the "runt" of the litter..Tire-Bite Golden Ale Tire bite is a kolsch. I have been away from Flying Dog Brews for a while, but I'll have to admit Tire Bite was okay. It reminded me a lot in smell and color of Miller Lite. I'm sure this is their answer to that type of mouth.
Alcohol content: 5.1% ABV
Original Gravity: 1.046
IBU's: 17.5
Specialty Malts: Malted White Wheat, Munich Malt
Hops: German Perle, Hallertau
Process: Brewed with a unique proprietary yeast

Taster's Choice Awards (not the coffee)

I've had a few comments lately about the homebrew and wanted to share them:
BugMan1109 wrote--"I tried your APA alongside Olde Towne, and they were surprisingly similar. The Amber was good too. It had a sweet taste in the background.
We miss you , Rosa. ;-(" --nice closing BugMan. He also took the time to look up a homebrewers association featured on the History Channel's Brewing episode, of which I have taped yet not seen (finals will be over soon).
Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society (Los Angeles Homebrewing) - Home Page
I recently gave a sixer to a prof here at school consisting of SS, IRA & EPA and he said just this Friday he went all the way down one side of it (after his hot H2O heater went out) remarking, "They were good", a man of few words, thank you Dr. Colorado;)

Brew Batch #15

Vanilla Cream Ale also went to the bottle tonight. I personally think this was the shocker batch of the year, of we are only into this year by 22 days and this is the first bottled batch, but I digress...2 clear and 48 long-neck brown with TURTLE CAPS!! I'll post a pick of them when I can figure out how to use Picassa on blogger. FG was a little discerning though (see previous post) 1.014 +0.00@66F to give us a whopping 3% abv. But I will say that it bottled as the clearest best color yet, a nice golden straw. Who knows, maybe I'll try another batch and leave it alone to see how it turns out.

Brew Batch #17

Closing in on that 8 batches before April mark in record pace, our British Bitter went to fermenter tonight. The brewing process has become definitely more stream-lined and efficient on these mundane batches. We have run into a problem with the OGs being a little lower than we would like on these session type beers but can't seem to figure that one out. Didn't do a yeast starter for this one because of the fear of yeast-bite. OG 1.024 + 0.001 @73F. This is our last ordered batch so new ones will need to be ordered ( along with some sanitizer, may try Listermann.com )

Brew Batch #16

We'll call it 42-A IPA since this is Junk's brain child. I haven't made an IPA batch since 12/2003 and it turned out okay. We had a few of them this week and I really got the taste back in my mouth. This time we put all of the LME in a hot bath in the sink which made them REALLY quick and easy to pour (and it freed up the stove). We also put a little water in each of the jugs to get that last little bit of extract out of them. Speaking of sugar did I mention that we added about 1 lb of cane sugar to this batch? Yeah, buddy! Jamie down at the AleHouse said we would be okay at about 15% but we went with 10% since it was easier to measure. It also had 4 hop additions: Nugget, Fuggle, Kent Goldings and Fuggle (which was interesting to strain out). Oh and we may dry hop with some Cascade I have laying around. It took a while for the larger boil to come down to 80F but we were jaw-jacking and smoking stogies and cleaning out the fridge for upcoming tasters. So right now it is 38F outside and 62F in our primary. I'll check it tomorrow morning to see how the starter affected it. I hope it's rolling. OG 1.062+0.00 @60F If this turn out to be a 7%er it is going to be perfect. The only problem it that we can't decide what type of bottles to use, but the crowns must be YELLOW.

Poor Richard's Ale

I haven't had the opportunity to try this as of yet but Junk may have us a line on a growler or 3 in due time. Many of you may recall that years ago I did a famous quote week in which Ben Franklin was a part of it. He was also part of a great entry I did on the American Wild Turkey (not in the bottle) after seeing a piece on the Discovery channel drunk one night in which he wanted the American bird to be the wild turkey. Other than being a great inventor, scientist, statesman, and author (Poor Richard's Almanack hence the beer's name) Ben Franklin (January 17,1706-April 17, 1790) was a beer lover. Many stories have circulated about his prowess at being able to hold intelligent discussions over several pints of beer at his local watering hole where later his smooth tongue would land him in trouble with the ladies (including his housekeepers and servants). I won't spoil the rest of the story. For a bit on the way it came to be go to this and this and for the recipe go here and the extract version here

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." probably led to
"If Jack's in love, he's no judge of Jill's beauty."
Did I mention ole Ben died at the ripe old age of 84 weighing over 300lbs, with a beer in his hand? ..well maybe not that last part, but he was damn sure preserved!!

Yeast Starter

Put together a starter batch for #16 in order to see if it helps with a more complete and rapid fermentation. I took 4oz of water boiled it and combined 1/3 cup of LME from the next recipe, allowed it to cool and added the already activated smack pack to it after it reached room temp making sure to aeriate well before hand. It turned out okay and started to slightly release CO2 as evident from the bulging glove that I attached. We'll see how it does...

Update...

I realize that it has been slow reading for those of you in TnDC-land but this week will attempt to catch you up and next month will be a blow-out (your bung-hole). Tonight we started a "small batch" for the yeast starter I will attempt to pour up tonight or tomorrow morning. By the way please pick up a copy of Charlie Papazian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition it will answer a multitude of question for all stages of brewers. I neglected to mention that we added a "tablespoonful and some change" (to an already lip-smacking batch) of some Vanilla and racked over #15 last Friday. Starting tomorrow we will begin 42 Dog Dayz to commemorate the brews that Flying Dog Brewery puts out.

Nifty Usable Brew Item

This Christmas I was given one of these as gift from my regular's Vegas mom and I'll have to admit it is swwweeetttt!! I make this post as a testament to the fact that the heavy duty neoprene will definitely hold 6 beers at or below 50F (after refrigeration or leaving them on the balcony over night when it is cold) while the girl you are with shops all the big after holiday sales at Ann Taylor's Loft, Victoria's Secret, etc as you aimlessly wander around wishing to God that there was a video arcade or sports store because you have read through all the good mags at the bookstore, so you finally ask for the keys and just go and sit out in the parking lot and drink your cool brews only breaking away to go inside and use the only redeeming quality about this POS mall...the restrooms, just to fill up again;)

Brew Batch #15

Cream Ale will be the first batch of the new year. We hope to do at least 8 batches (and doubles don't count) by the time we leave at the end of April. OG 1.034+0.001 @70F. This was a clean and easy batch and should turn out to be a helluva session beer. This was the first time I've used Mt. Hood hops and they smelled great as bittering hops. We've already started talking about the next batches.

Tonight....

I was booted from my brew apprentice's dorm room in a reluctant manner at Harper dormitory tonight. I'll have to say it was great being in an empty dorm with access to the ladies room (yep I left the seat up). Tejas beat the crap out of my Sooners this year but it was worth it to watch them humble USC on the big screen at Junk's bump palace. Junk treated me to some Yazoo Sly Rye Porter (pics to be posted at a later date) that he picked up in a Growler while in TN. I'll have to admit when he said he liked it (he doesn't currently like too much that you can't see through), I thought it was going to be a bit weak. It was awesome with a great hint of scotch in the aftertaste. Yazoo is a new brewery in Nashville that Junk turned me onto and bootlegs samples back for me. They use Maris Otter malts from England that are also used in single-malt scotch.Here are the stats on Sly Rye-- OG: 14.40 Plato FG: 3.8 Plato IBUs: 28 SRM: 29 5.7% abv

PONTIAC baby!
PS- Right now I am standing at the laptop with a smack pack warming between my legs for #15;)

Reinke's Revenge

Tried it tonight and it was disappointingly amazing. January-- month of the Dog, February-- month of Mich and March-- month of Sam, more to follow soon, we are back at work.